Bulgar wheat salad with roasted veg in paprika

I actually made this salad some three weeks ago before my business trip but I simply forgot to post it so here it is…

A bit of this and a bit of that.

I couldn’t really decide what to call this recipe. It’s again a union of two different salads that I love and, typically, being the lazy and impatient cook that I am, I combined the two and crossed my fingers.

The two salads I love are tabbouleh and couscous with roasted vegetables. So, I’ve got a bit of both in this salad but I apologise in advance as I simply made it using flavours I love, so this really isn’t an authentic version of either salad. I made it up as I went along.

I have to say that this salad actually tastes its best when it’s eaten slightly warm and not cold. It should be more of a summertime dish but because the chilli powder I used in it was quite pokey, it lent it a warmth that made it very palatable even in cold weather, especially as we ate it with some grilled chicken.

I love anything with lemon in it!

I also ate it cold the next day (part of the reason I’d made it was so I’d have enough to bring to work the next day) and the flavours from the roast veg were even better, just a shame I wasn’t able to heat it up a little at work.

4 cups of cooked bulgar wheat (which I cooked in chicken stock rather than water)

3 cups of roughly chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

2 red peppers, de-seeded and cut into 1-2 cm dice

1 yellow pepper, de-seeded and cut into 1-2 cm dice

1 large onion, de-seeded and cut into 1-2 cm dice

2 tablespoons fresh thyme

Olive oil (good for a few generous glugs)

1 generous teaspoon chilli powder

1 generous teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

Salt & pepper

Lemon juice to taste

I normally roast peppers with garlic too but decided not to this time in case it overwhelmed the salad.

Mix everything together but use a fork and not a spoon as it'll keep the bulgar wheat from sticking together too much.

Chuck your chopped peppers and onions onto a baking sheet, add your herbs and spices and pour a generous measure of olive oil over the vegetables. Give the vegetables a generous pinch of salt and black pepper and then get stuck in with your hands and mix up all the veg so everything’s coated in oil and herbs.

In a 180 degree (celsius) oven, roast them for about 45 minutes, turning them once or twice, or roast them until they soften and brown slightly at the edges.

Take them out and allow them to cool. Add them (and use all of the juices/oil from the pan) and the chopped parsley to your cooked bulgar wheat and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, salt and pepper until you’re happy with the taste. I normally add at least 2 tablespoons of lemon juice because I love it tangy.

There’s so many ways to jazz this up too – you could add some toasted nuts (like pine nuts or almonds) and/or add some chickpeas, beans or raisins/fruit to it as well.

My goodness this is gorgeous! I love all the flavors and color you have going on in this salad. I wish I could have a little bowl of this right now. It would be quite a comforting and enjoyable snack (it’s midnight here).